Funds on Hold

[15westcoast]

I have over 500 transactions (100% positive feedback) and have been on Ebay for many

yeras.  I registered for managed payments and have had several sales since then.  My funds

have usually arrived in my bank within 5 days.  A recent sale (last week) was sent with tracking and

is almost at the customer's destination.  Ebay has advised me that the funds for this transaction are

on hold.  I called Ebay and have been advised that I have to make another 25 sales and wait until the

item is delivered to the buyer before my funds will be released. After completing the 25 sales I can then

expect my funds to be released, once again, within 5 days.  Has anyone else heard of this ?  Is this a new

Ebay policy ?    Am I being penalized for some reason ?  Needless to say I am not pleased !

[reallynicestamps]

Usually that Hold is on new or occasional sellers.

Your feedback indicates that you have been selling fairly steadily this past year.

Is there an open Dispute on the not yet delivered shipment? Is it past its delivery deadline?

An open Dispute will put funds on Hold, but usually only enough to cover the buyer's payment and eBay's fees.

But when a Dispute is resolved, the funds would be released.

Sounds like a confused, undertrained phone rep.

Try asking on Chat, where you get a transcript of the conversation.

Then you can read what the rep actually said, rather than what you think he said.

You could also ask the Twitter or FaceBook reps.

]https://twitter.com/askebay
https://www.facebook.com/eBay/

[15westcoast]

There is no dispute with the buyer and the tracked item is almost

at his address.  I have never had any disputes on Ebay.  The message

from Ebay on my "sold" item stated that funds would be on hold until

Sept. 29  after delivery had taken place ( delivery will be there well before the 29th)

 The "chat" rep. confirmed this.  I will now really have to consider my future with Ebay.

I would like to know if anyone else has had this same experience recently ?

[byto253]

@15westcoast   "I called Ebay and have been advised that I have to make another 25 sales and wait until the

item is delivered to the buyer before my funds will be released. "   

Holding funds for  items until they are delivered is one thing, holding your funds until you make future sales is not legal.   Ebay is a a middleman here, holding funds in trust.  Once the conditions of the trust are met, they have no basis to hold these funds.   And no person or organization can make rules or a contract that negate the law.   If it is as posted, this is a really bad one.

[15westcoast]

I just got off the phone with customer service.  Here is what I was told.

Since managed payments have come into play Ebay has evaluated their

accounts (so they say)  Anyone (like me ) who is a "casual seller" will now have

to wait until a sold item is delivered to the buyer for funds from that transaction to

be released.  IF, however,  I go through 25 more sales with this same process, I will

be considered a qualitfied buyer and my funds will then be released as they have been

in 4 to 5 days  !   They do not seem to consider your track record--Feedback and no disputes.

Apparently, this will apply to anyone who is deemed a "casual seller".  This is very wrong !

[marnotom!]

If you’re posting from your selling account, there’s a two month gap between this sale and your previous one, so I can see how you’d fit the definition of a “casual seller”. However, if you continue to sell at this rate it’s going to take four freakin’ years to get those twenty-five sales, which makes this requirement hella ridiculous.

[reallynicestamps]

As I mentioned above, your track record has you in the 'occasional seller' / casual seller category.

Ugh.

When the item is delivered, use Chat (because written record) and politely ask them to look at your long track record and ask that the restriction be lifted.

Chat representatives, along with Twitter and FaceBook, seem to have more authority and better training than the poor souls on the phone banks.

I'm hoping that as an unplanned side effect, these annoying restrictions on older accounts make it much more difficult for little used or abandoned accounts to be hijacked.

[15westcoast]

Yep, I guess I am a "casual seller" like hundreds of others who are being

categorized and penalized.

[15westcoast]

Thank you.  I have been on "chat" and on the phone.  The message as the same.

They don't seem to be intersted in members who are not selling with large sales

volumes.  I doubt if I will list anything again and have removed two current listings

due to this nonsense.

[15westcoast]

If this has happened to you --time to speak up !!!!

[pjcdn2005]

Unless there are transactions not showing, it looks as if you have sold higher priced items in the last 3months so they may consider you an infrequent seller.   I haven't run into this as my sales are few but fairly regular.

New or infrequent sellers will experience transaction holds while we confirm that their items have been successfully delivered. This helps sellers become established and build a strong selling history on eBay. In limited circumstances, new sellers may experience holds for up to 21 days

https://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Funds-on-Hold/m-p/466382#M130004

Sorry, you obviously know all that now...I only saw the first couple of posts and didn't realize that you had answered your own question. 🙂

[pjcdn2005]

I think that you are misunderstanding Or I am misunderstand what you mean.  They are saying that until the seller has a recent 25 sales, each transaction will be held for a certain number of days or until delivery.  They aren't going to hold all funds until 25 sales have been completed.

[byto253]

That makes more sense.  When I started there was a delay in payments for a specific period of time or until delivery was confirmed. 

I think it was the OP wording of  "I called Ebay and have been advised that I have to make another 25 sales and wait until the item is delivered to the buyer before my funds will be released".   That sounds like she/he needs to make another 25 sales to release funds, which is wackadoodle.  

[15westcoast]

Sorry if there is confusion.  From this point on as a "casual seller" any sales I make

will result in my funds being held until the item is delivered to the buyer .  So, in order

for me to become a "qualified seller"  my next 25 selling transactions will be completed

in exactly the same mode with me waiting for payment until the item is delivered to the buyer.

Apparently once the 25 sales have been completed I will be restored as a "qualified buyer"

and will be able to receive funds from sales with in the usual 4 to 5 days.  As Marnotom says

this should take me about four years. I can hardly wait !  Ebay clearly does not want lower volume sellers and I am

sure there are hundred of us out there who are going through this same nonsense.

[marnotom!]

I think the issue more is that under Managed Payments, eBay is trying some pretty drastic measures to reduce seller-perpetuated fraud (or at least the perception of seller-perpetuated fraud) on the sites by putting holds on payments in a more extreme manner than was done under the PayPal-based system.  Unfortunately, sellers who use eBay as an international or high-visibility alternative to sites such as Craigslist or Kijiji are getting caught in the crossfire.

I realize this analysis isn't particularly reassuring, but I'm putting it out there because I think that if you do take your sales to other sites with a reach like eBay's, you're going to run into similar difficulties.

[reallynicestamps]

So, in order

for me to become a "qualified seller" my next 25 selling transactions will be completed

in exactly the same mode with me waiting for payment until the item is delivered to the buyer.

Which could be UP TO 21 days, but should not be longer, based on past results.

The norm in the past has been, if the shipment were tracked, when the tracking showed delivery the Hold was removed.

Since this specific shipment has not yet arrived, please let us know what happens when it does get delivered.

And if the Hold is still on, let us know what you have done to pry the money loose.

I would be contacting eBay every 30 days and asking that the restriction be eased.

The "written word" reps seem to have more authority to do this than the phone reps.

There will be more members in your situation, I'm sure, and if we can reassure them that the Hold is less draconian that it sounds, you will be helping to prevent a lot of anguish.

And if not.... hmmm..... well, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it.

[15westcoast]

Hi, Thank you.  Yes the shipment is tracked and just about at the buyer's door.

I just feel that Ebay is penalizing myself and others that have lower sales volumes

and are putting a gun to our head with our money by making us wait.  Just as if

we are not trusted ! 

[reallynicestamps]

You are not.

But it's not personal.

EBay sees that newbie (particularly) and occasional sellers are more likely to have problems, not always the fault of the seller, and is protecting its wallet with this policy.

EBay is not your friend, it is your landlord.

Once you have your money, do contact eBay and point out your long track record and ask politely (because the clerk is just some working schlub, not top management) for the removal of the restrictions.

[15westcoast]

Hello, Thank you for your advice.  My item was delivered and my funds have

been released.  Had the package been sent further East in the USA I would still

be waiting for my money.  I sent in a written e-mail appeal to Ebay customer service.

The reply was to be expected.  They acted like I was being done a favor by having my

funds released from this recent sale.  It further stated that the same process would apply

with furture sales.  In other words nothing has changed and the package must be delivered to

the buyer before funds will be released.   Very great liberty with my money !  I will not be selling

much if anything in the future on Ebay.

[brad3825]

Same thing happened to me. over 17 years. 100 % feedback $1500 in sale s the last 2 months. I called and chatted. No help. Asked if I would get paid interestnon my money that ebay was Holding. Of course not.
I took down my other listings and future listings will be somewhere else. Reverb Facebook marketplace etc